


Two people interacting

by Morgan_Dhu



Series: Short prose [7]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 05:43:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgan_Dhu/pseuds/Morgan_Dhu





	Two people interacting

Writing Exercise: Observe Two People Interacting

The little girl – proud, determined, oh-so grown-up and responsible – pushes her baby sister’s carriage along the street. Her blonde head, framed by the dark purple hood of her coat, barely reaches over the top of the push-bar. White-mittened hands clutch at the uprights. The woman walks beside her, her smiling gaze moving from the little girl, to the sleeping child in the carriage, to the street ahead of them, and back again. The woman’s hand unobtrusively guides the carriage whenever its wheels lock, sending it out of its path.

“I see the bus stop!” The little girl trills happily as they approach the street corner, walking clear of the line of shops that had blocked her line of sight. She can see the familiar bus shelter, standing up against the red brick building on the corner across the street. She pushes a little faster. The woman’s hand steadies the carriage, slowing her pace.

“But the light is red. We have to wait.”

“I know.” The girl moves her head from side to side, in time to a snatch of sing-song chant. “Red means stop, green means go.”

The woman stops the carriage before the wheels can slip off the curb. “And the light is red, so we’ll stop here ‘til it’s green. Be careful not to let the carriage go off the sidewalk.” 

The girl bends sideways, looking at the front wheels of the carriage. “It’s fine.” Now she looks up the street, ducking her head under the woman’s arm, but keeping her grip on the carriage. “I don’t see a bus.”

“I don’t either. We’ll have to wait… oh, see, the light is green now.” The woman looks around her, checking the traffic, then turns back to the little girl. “Are you ready?”

“Green, go, green.” The girl pushes forward again, singing the words softly, over and over. The woman’s hand steadies the carriage as it rolls off the curb and into the street.

“Green, go, green…”

“Walk between the lines.”

“Green, go, green…”

“Watch for turning cars.”

“Green, go, green…”

“I’ll help you lift the baby up over the curb.” The woman moves forward quickly, bending over to pick up the front of the carriage, gently easing it up onto the sidewalk. Reaching for the push-bar, she helps the girl push the rear of the carriage over the curb. “There we go, up the curb,” she says, tousling the girl’s hair. “Thank you for pushing the baby all the way to the stop.” The woman takes hold of the carriage now, manoeuvres it toward the red and white bus stop sign. She leans down, strokes the baby’s cheek and settles the blankets around the still sleeping child.

Woman and girl look up, past the shelter, along the road. “Still no sign of the bus,” the woman says. “I guess we’ll just have to wait.

Released from her responsibility, the little girl twirls away, spinning toward the wall of the building behind them. Chortling to herself, she presses close against it, playing a secret game with the rough red bricks until the bus comes.


End file.
